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Letter: Willingness to show anti-abortion film “despicable”

Writer critical of Salmar Theatres showing lack of concern for women’s rights
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The Salmar Classic has cancelled the film Unplanned.

This decision does not, however, let it off the hook. Presumably the Salmar would not show films supporting Nazi propaganda. Nor would it, I assume, show films supportive of ISIS or Al Qaeda. No doubt they would be horrified at the suggestion. But the Salmar has no qualms about showing a film that attacks women’s fundamental right to choose. It’s okay doing that.

The Salmar has claimed that it was showing the film out of a love of diversity and free speech. These are always the defenses employed when an organization is called out for violating human rights.

Read more: Threats allegedly made against Salmar Theatres staff prompt cancellation of anti-abortion film

Read more: Controversial anti-abortion film ‘Unplanned’ to hit more than 24 Canadian theatres

Read more: Salmon Arm mother upset after angry movie mob vents on 15-year-old daughter

A woman’s right to choose without harassment from the state, the police, the courts or the church, is a fundamental human right; there should be no argument about this. Perhaps the Salmar has forgotten the number of abortion providers that have been murdered, especially south of the border, or the number of women’s clinics that have been fire-bombed, or the attempts to use legislatures and courts to deny women’s rights.

The production and screening of films such as Unplanned are part of the extensive network of fundamentalist Christian hate propaganda that has led to such results. For the Salmar to even consider showing such a disgusting piece of work shows their complete lack of ethics and their absolute lack of concern for women’s fundamental human rights. They only cancelled the film because of alleged threats, not because it has occurred to them that their original choice was despicable.

David Lethbridge


@SalmonArm
newsroom@saobserver.net

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